The Boulder Valley School District and its teachers union have reached a tentative contract agreement, but that doesn’t mean their conflict is over.
The union is recommending teachers vote against the agreement Aug. 17-18, because the proposed 1 percent increase will be for one year only and will not become part of their permanent base pay.
“By no means does Boulder Valley Education Association have satisfaction,” said Melissa Tingley, union president. “The teachers association knows the district is in a better financial situation now. It’s not worse. We are still looking toward a reasonable amount.”
District officials say Boulder Valley cannot afford to build in a permanent pay increase because of looming financial problems. The state is withholding $110 million from school districts until Jan. 29, 2010, when state officials will determine whether they need the money. That equates to a $3.8 million holdback for the Boulder Valley School District.
Teachers say regardless of the holdback, the state gave millions more to schools because of a constitutionally mandated funding formula that requires districts get a 1 percentage-point increase on top of the annual inflation rate, which this year was 3.9 percent.
That gives every district 4.9 percent more for 2009-10 compared with the previous year, or about $250 more for every student.
“Both sides are not that far apart in the amount of compensation increase,” district spokesman Briggs Gamblin said. “The sticky part is the (union) wants a guaranteed cost-of-living adjustment. The district feels that is not advisable.”
Gamblin said the budget forecasts for the 2010-11 school year are much worse.
“We are saying we will do it for one year but we don’t want to lock it into the base,” Gamblin said.
Jeremy P. Meyer: 303-954-1367 or jpmeyer@denverpost.com
